“Against a background of a sluggish global economy, the Middle East continues to shine. The UAE is an attractive location for logistics investments based on ease of doing business, while Saudi Arabia’s strong economic and population growth have also made it a market ripe for investment,” Al-Saleh said.

“Saudi Arabia continues to spend on infrastructure. It has been a star performer among emerging markets globally, taking third spot in the 2014 Index.”

Al-Saleh said Dubai has become a regional hub for business expanding into Africa. The UAE topped all other countries in the Index as having the best domestic and international transport infrastructure and best connections between the two.